3,560 research outputs found
A prospective observational study of on-treatment plasma homocysteine levels as a biomarker of toxicity, depression and vitamin supplementation lead-in time pre pemetrexed, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma
OBJECTIVES: Vitamin supplementation reduces pemetrexed toxicity. Raised plasma homocysteine reflects deficiency in vitamin B12 and folate, and is suppressed by supplementation. This observational study of 112 patients receiving pemetrexed-based chemotherapy assessed homocysteine levels after 3 weeks of vitamin supplementation, hypothesising high levels would correlate with ongoing deficiency, thus increased toxicity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Primary endpoint was the composite of proportion of patients with treatment delay/ dose reduction/ drug change or hospitalisation during the first six weeks of chemotherapy, comparing those with normal plasma homocysteine (successfully supplemented, SS) and those with high homocysteine (unsuccessfully supplemented, USS). Secondary endpoints included toxicity and analyses for depression. Post-hoc analysis examined correlation between interval of vitamin and folate supplementation and pemetrexed on primary endpoint and grade 3-4 toxicities. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients (84%) were successfully supplemented (SS group). The proportion of patients undergoing a treatment delay/ dose reduction/ drug change or hospitalisation in SS group was 44.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 33.2%-55.3%) and in USS group was 18.8% (95% CI 4.0%-45.6%) (p = 0.09). Twelve percent of patients gave a past history of depression however 66% of patients had an on study Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) score of >7. Supplementation status was not associated with depression. The median overall survival (OS) was 11.8 months (95% CI 8.6-16.5) in the SS group and 8.8 months (95% CI 6.6-16.2) in the US group (p = 0.5). The number of days (<7 or â„ 7 days) between vitamin B12 and folate initiation and pemetrexed administration, had no effect on the primary endpoint and grade 3-4 toxicities. CONCLUSION: On-treatment homocysteine levels were not a biomarker of toxicity or depression. Standard vitamin supplementation is adequate in the majority of patients receiving pemetrexed. High HAD score were noted in this population giving an opportunity for mental health intervention. The lead-in time for vitamin supplementation can be short
3D simulations of RS Oph: from accretion to nova blast
RS Ophiuchi is a recurrent nova with a period of about 22 years, consisting
of a wind accreting binary system with a white dwarf (WD) very close to the
Chandrasekhar limit and a red giant star (RG). The system is considered a prime
candidate to evolve into an SNIa. We present a 3D hydrodynamic simulation of
the quiescent accretion and the subsequent explosive phase. The computed
circumstellar mass distribution in the quiescent phase is highly structured
with a mass enhancement in the orbital plane of about a factor of 2 as compared
to the poleward directions. The simulated nova remnant evolves aspherically,
propagating faster toward the poles. The shock velocities derived from the
simulations are in agreement with those derived from observations. For v_RG =
20 km/s and for nearly isothermal flows, we derive a mass transfer rate to the
WD of 10% of the mass loss of the RG. For an RG mass loss of 10^{-7} solar
masses per year, we found the orbit of the system to decay by 3% per million
years. With the derived mass transfer rate, multi-cycle nova models provide a
qualitatively correct recurrence time, amplitude, and fastness of the nova. Our
simulations provide, along with the observations and nova models, the third
ingredient for a deeper understanding of the recurrent novae of the RS Oph
type. In combination with recent multi-cycle nova models, our results suggests
that the WD in RS Oph will increase in mass. Several speculative outcomes then
seem plausible. The WD may reach the Chandrasekhar limit and explode as an SN
Ia. Alternatively, the mass loss of the RG could result in a smaller Roche
volume, a common envelope phase, and a narrow WD+WD system. Angular momentum
loss due to graviational wave emission could trigger the merger of the two WDs
and - perhaps - an SN Ia via the double degenerate scenario.Comment: Accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters, 4 pages, 5 figures;
Version with high resolution figures and movie can be found at
http://www.astro.phys.ethz.ch/staff/folini/private/research/rsoph/rsoph.htm
Luminosity- and morphology-dependent clustering of galaxies
How does the clustering of galaxies depend on their inner properties like
morphological type and luminosity? We address this question in the mathematical
framework of marked point processes and clarify the notion of luminosity and
morphological segregation. A number of test quantities such as conditional
mark-weighted two-point correlation functions are introduced. These descriptors
allow for a scale-dependent analysis of luminosity and morphology segregation.
Moreover, they break the degeneracy between an inhomogeneous fractal point set
and actual present luminosity segregation. Using the Southern Sky Redshift
Survey~2 (da Costa et al. 1998, SSRS2) we find both luminosity and
morphological segregation at a high level of significance, confirming claims by
previous works using these data (Benoist et al. 1996, Willmer et al. 1998).
Specifically, the average luminosity and the fluctuations in the luminosity of
pairs of galaxies are enhanced out to separations of 15Mpc/h. On scales smaller
than 3Mpc/h the luminosities on galaxy pairs show a tight correlation. A
comparison with the random-field model indicates that galaxy luminosities
depend on the spatial distribution and galaxy-galaxy interactions. Early-type
galaxies are also more strongly correlated, indicating morphological
segregation. The galaxies in the PSCz catalog (Saunders et al. 2000) do not
show significant luminosity segregation. This again illustrates that mainly
early-type galaxies contribute to luminosity segregation. However, based on
several independent investigations we show that the observed luminosity
segregation can not be explained by the morphology-density relation alone.Comment: aastex, emulateapj5, 20 pages, 13 figures, several clarifying
comments added, ApJ accepte
Sterile medfly males of the TSL Vienna 8 genetic sexing strain improved mating performance with ginger root oil.
Fingerprinting of chlorinated paraffins and their transformation products in plastic consumer products
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) can be classified according to their length as short-chain (SC, C10-C13), medium-chain (MC, C14-C17) and long-chain (LC, C â„ 18) CPs. Technical CP-mixtures can contain a wide range of carbon- (C-, nC = 10-30) and chlorine- (Cl-, nCl = 3-19) homologues. CPs are high-production volume chemicals (>106 t/y). They are used as flame-retardants, plasticizers and coolant fluids. Due to the persistence, bioaccumulation, long-range environmental transport potential and adverse effects, SCCPs are regulated as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by the Stockholm Convention. Transformation of CPs can lead to the formation of unsaturated compounds such as chlorinated mono- (CO), di- (CdiO) and tri-olefins (CtriO). Such transformation reactions can occur at different stages of CP manipulation providing characteristic C-/Cl-homologue distributions. All this results in unique patterns that collectively create a fingerprint, which can be distinguished from CP-containing samples. Therefore, CP-fingerprinting can develop into a promising tool for future source apportionment studies and with it, the reduction of environmental burden of CPs and hazards to humans. Herein, CP-containing plastics were studied to establish fingerprints and develop this method. We analyzed four household items by reverse-phase liquid-chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source and an Orbitrap mass analyzer (RP-LC-APCI-Orbitrap-MS) operated at a resolution of 120000 (FWHM at m/z 200). MS-data of different CP-, CO-, CdiO- and CtriO-homologues were efficiently processed with an R-based automatic mass spectra evaluation routine (RASER). From the 16720 ions searched for, up to 4300 ions per sample were assigned to 340 C-/Cl-homologues of CPs and their transformation products. Specific fingerprints were deduced from the C-/Cl-homologues distributions, the carbon- (nC) and chlorine- (nCl) numbers and saturation degree. These fingerprints were compared with the ones obtained by a GC-ECNI-Orbitrap-MS method
Weak Lensing from Space I: Instrumentation and Survey Strategy
A wide field space-based imaging telescope is necessary to fully exploit the
technique of observing dark matter via weak gravitational lensing. This first
paper in a three part series outlines the survey strategies and relevant
instrumental parameters for such a mission. As a concrete example of hardware
design, we consider the proposed Supernova/Acceleration Probe (SNAP). Using
SNAP engineering models, we quantify the major contributions to this
telescope's Point Spread Function (PSF). These PSF contributions are relevant
to any similar wide field space telescope. We further show that the PSF of SNAP
or a similar telescope will be smaller than current ground-based PSFs, and more
isotropic and stable over time than the PSF of the Hubble Space Telescope. We
outline survey strategies for two different regimes - a ``wide'' 300 square
degree survey and a ``deep'' 15 square degree survey that will accomplish
various weak lensing goals including statistical studies and dark matter
mapping.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figures, 1 table, replaced with Published Versio
Supernova / Acceleration Probe: A Satellite Experiment to Study the Nature of the Dark Energy
The Supernova / Acceleration Probe (SNAP) is a proposed space-based
experiment designed to study the dark energy and alternative explanations of
the acceleration of the Universe's expansion by performing a series of
complementary systematics-controlled measurements. We describe a
self-consistent reference mission design for building a Type Ia supernova
Hubble diagram and for performing a wide-area weak gravitational lensing study.
A 2-m wide-field telescope feeds a focal plane consisting of a 0.7
square-degree imager tiled with equal areas of optical CCDs and near infrared
sensors, and a high-efficiency low-resolution integral field spectrograph. The
SNAP mission will obtain high-signal-to-noise calibrated light-curves and
spectra for several thousand supernovae at redshifts between z=0.1 and 1.7. A
wide-field survey covering one thousand square degrees resolves ~100 galaxies
per square arcminute. If we assume we live in a cosmological-constant-dominated
Universe, the matter density, dark energy density, and flatness of space can
all be measured with SNAP supernova and weak-lensing measurements to a
systematics-limited accuracy of 1%. For a flat universe, the
density-to-pressure ratio of dark energy can be similarly measured to 5% for
the present value w0 and ~0.1 for the time variation w'. The large survey area,
depth, spatial resolution, time-sampling, and nine-band optical to NIR
photometry will support additional independent and/or complementary dark-energy
measurement approaches as well as a broad range of auxiliary science programs.
(Abridged)Comment: 40 pages, 18 figures, submitted to PASP, http://snap.lbl.go
Privatization and State Capacity in Postcommunist Society
Economists have used cross-national regression analysis to argue that postcommunist economic failure is the result of inadequate adherence liberal economic policies. Sociologists have relied on case study data to show that postcommunist economic failure is the outcome of too close adherence to liberal policy recommendations, which has led to an erosion of state effectiveness, and thus produced poor economic performance. The present paper advances a version of this statist theory based on a quantitative analysis of mass privatization programs in the postcommunist world. We argue that rapid large-scale privatization creates severe supply and demand shocks for enterprises, thereby inducing firm failure. The resulting erosion of tax revenues leads to a fiscal crisis for the state, and severely weakens its capacity and bureaucratic character. This, in turn, reacts back on the enterprise sector, as the state can no longer support the institutions necessary for the effective functioning of a modern economy, thus resulting in deindustrialization. Using cross-national regression techniques we find that the implementation of mass privatization programs negatively impacts measures of economic growth, state capacity and the security of property rights.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40192/3/wp806.pd
Evolution and Nucleosynthesis of Very Massive Stars
In this chapter, after a brief introduction and overview of stellar
evolution, we discuss the evolution and nucleosynthesis of very massive stars
(VMS: M>100 solar masses) in the context of recent stellar evolution model
calculations. This chapter covers the following aspects: general properties,
evolution of surface properties, late central evolution, and nucleosynthesis
including their dependence on metallicity, mass loss and rotation. Since very
massive stars have very large convective cores during the main-sequence phase,
their evolution is not so much affected by rotational mixing, but more by mass
loss through stellar winds. Their evolution is never far from a homogeneous
evolution even without rotational mixing. All VMS at metallicities close to
solar end their life as WC(-WO) type Wolf-Rayet stars. Due to very important
mass loss through stellar winds, these stars may have luminosities during the
advanced phases of their evolution similar to stars with initial masses between
60 and 120 solar masses. A distinctive feature which may be used to disentangle
Wolf-Rayet stars originating from VMS from those originating from lower initial
masses is the enhanced abundances of neon and magnesium at the surface of WC
stars. At solar metallicity, mass loss is so strong that even if a star is born
with several hundred solar masses, it will end its life with less than 50 solar
masses (using current mass loss prescriptions). At the metallicity of the LMC
and lower, on the other hand, mass loss is weaker and might enable star to
undergo pair-instability supernovae.Comment: 42 pages, 20 figures, Book Chapter in "Very Massive Stars in the
Local Universe", Springer, Ed. Jorick S. Vin
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